By RFIPosted on 07-01-2020Modified on 07-01-2020 at 00:30

The Association of Professors of Kinshasa University decided to suspend academic activities after violence involving students and law enforcement officials on Monday. Dissatisfied students carried out major equipment destruction in the morning.

Protesters protested the change in the exchange rate for students who pay their academic fees in francs rather than dollars, a change that results in an increase from 920 to 1,700 Congolese francs. Violence broke out at the hands of the police and the damage was enormous.

Broken chairs, dismantled air conditioners, worn-out computers… documents litter the floor of the promotion room. The assistant superior commissioner, Baudouin Mpiana, led the police operation.

" Everything was ransacked. There are no more windows, air conditioners, curtains ... They even injured themselves, you see blood here. These are windows that injured them, you see all the windows are damaged. Excessive sabotage. "

When the demonstration broke out, the police intervened. When stones were thrown, she responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Some demonstrators attacked the teachers' offices and the bank machine was not spared.

In one of the offices, Jean-Luc, promotion delegate, believes that " it is the feeling of everyone that has been expressed in his own way ". “ You can't control. These are things that should not be supported, because it is our heritage, we must protect it . "

For General Sylvano Kasongo, the police chief in Kinshasa, it is necessary to filter the university site. “ Most of them are thugs. UniKin is full of people who are not students. The authority must open its eyes to identify all those who live on campus. We should even consider closing the boarding school . "

Same thing for the association of professors of the University of Kinshasa (Apukin). They propose the expulsion of all students from the residences.

Police say 7 of his elements were seriously injured. Officially, only a dozen people, including 5 students, were arrested. The student committee denounces the injured among them, without giving any figures.

On the issue that provoked the demonstration, the authorities do not back down. Monday evening, Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga called for calm, while reminding the protesters that the fees had been agreed.

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